Plastic-block-molding machine.



PLASTIG BLOGK MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIUATIOH FILED MAB.. 3, 1905.

S SHEETS-SHEET 1.

nuntoz Jmes J Cesc PATENTBD MAR. 6, 1906.

J. J. COX. PLASTIC BLOCK MCLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION 'LED MAILS, X995.

2 SHEETS-SHEET uuauroz UNITED STA'IESo Pi'lENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 8, 1906.

Application filari Marcia 3, 195. Serial No. 248,316.

To (LZ whom. t muy concern,.-

Be it known that I, JAMES J. Cox, a citizen of the United. States of America, residin at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plastic-Block- Molding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved plastic-block-molding machine designed for the molding of building or structural blocks, fence-posts, structural columns, and such other articles as are molded from cement, concrete, or equivalent plastic composition of matter. The term block as applied to this machine is therefore intended to compre hend articles designed for any use that may be molded therein from cement or other composition.

Many of the common types of block or post molding machines in ordinary use involve the employment of mold-walls which are mounted on hin es or otherwise arran ed to fold toward an from the article being molded; but in this type of molds oftentimes the blocks or posts are imperfectl formed, and, furthermore when the sides o the mold are pulled away from the molded article the latter is left with a rough finish and often broken at the corners. These defects are usually overcome hy pointing up the article and sometimes by separately troweling the same after the mold-walls are taken away from the mold-body.

It is the purpose of the present invention to overcome these objections to the type of molding-machine referred to by providing a simple and ractical construction wherein the mold itse fis provided with means Whereby a troweling or smoothing eiiect ma he accomplished before the molded articlh is removed from the mold. In this connection the invention provides not only means for troweling or smoothing up the sides of the article lyin against the mold sides, but also uickly an readily opening up and closing t e mold to facilitate the handling of the material and the finished article.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for handling the side Walls of the mold While the latter remain in an u right position, whereby said Walls may e readily opened up and closed together, While at the same time, through a portion of their movement, providing for the troweling or Smoothing action referred to.

With these and many other objects in view, which Will more fully appear as the nature of' the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, Which will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

The essential features of the invention involved in the endWise-movable mold sides or side walls and the means for simultaneously operating the same for trowelin the sides of the molded article and for spreading open the mold are necessarily susceptible to structural modiiications without departing from the sco e of the invention g but a preferred embo iment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete block-molding machine embodying the resent invention and showing the mold c osed and locked and also illustrating a cement or plastic body filled into the same to form a post or column. Fig. 2 is a central lon itudinal sectional view of the mold in theorm Shown in Fi 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of' the mold, slowing the sides or side Walls s read open and away from the molded artic e with the latter in position for being removed upon the bottom meinberof the mold. Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the molding machine. Fi 5 1s a detail cross-sectional view on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, showing the yoke-handle of the operating-lever engaged across one end of the mold to serve as a mold clam or lock for that end.

Li e reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in the several iigures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention the parts of the mold pro er are arranged upon a fixed lat base 1 ci) any suitable dimensions, according to the character of the block or post which the machine is desi ned to 'have molded therein, In the pre erred form of the invention shown in the drawings the fixed flat base 1 is illustrated as being of an approximate rectangular form corresponding to the general form of a post and is provided with suitable supporting-le s or rests 2 for supporting the same in a su cientlyelevated position to permit the convenient carrying IOO out of the o eration of molding a block or IIO sli htly exceedin the full length of the artic e to be molde( ,a fixed transverse end wall 4, located at or near one end of the fixed base, movable end-wall sections 5, carried at one end of the longitudinal walls 3, and a removable bottom member 6, desi ned to be arranged Hat upon the upper si e of the base 1 and constituting the removable bottom for the mold, upon which bottom the article is molded and removed. The fixed end wall 4 is preierably secured fast to the upper side of the fixed base 1 conti uous to one end thereof and is provided t ierein with a pair of spaced kee er-mortises 7, which are designed to removalbly receive therein the tenons 8, formed at one end of the longitudinal side Walls 3, which side walls are provided at their opposite extremities with the inturned or inwardly-projecting end-wall sections or halves 5, which when brought to ether constitute the complete end wall oft e mold directly op osite the fixed end Wall 4. The said end- Wa lsections or halves 5, carried,.respectively, by the opposite side walls 3 at one end of the latter, are provided at their lower edges with the clearance-notches 9, which lit over and register with one end of the movable bottom member 6 of the mold when the latter is coinp`letely closed, as may be lainly seen from igs. 1, 2, and 5 of the rawin s, thereby closing all spaces throughout tie interior space of the mold, so as to rovide for forming a (perfectly-shaped artic e therein.

A istinctive feature of the present in'ven tion resides in maintaining the longitudinal side walls 3 in an upright position upon the fixed horizontal base 1, while at the same time associating therewith means for posi tively and definitely imparting thereto an endwise movement whereby said side walls will slide longitudinally upon the base and at the same time will be .rmitted to approach toward and recede firJdrn each other in the operation of closing and opening the mold to facilitate the molding operation. These several movements are provided for in the side walls 3 by associating therewith suitable guiding devices comprising means not only for guidingthe side walls in fixed longitudinal planes for a portion of their movement, but also for camming said walls inward and outward in the operation of closing and opening the mold. Any suitable guiding devices may be resorted to for this purpose; but a convenient and practical construction is shown in the drawin s and resid-es in providing each of the wal s 3 at opposite sides of the transverse center thereof with guide pins or projections 10sl1idably engaging in the guiding and camming slots 11, formed in the fixed base-piece 1. Each of the guiding and camming slots 11 is provided with a straight portion 12, disposed approximately parallel to the longitudinal center 0I the base-piece, and with an outwardly-defiected camming portion 13, forming a continuation of the straight portion of the slot, but curved or inclined toward the adjacent outer edge of the baseiece to effect a camming in and out of the sai( wall in amanner to be presently explained. A )air of the said slots 11 is associated with eacli endwise movable sidewall 3, and the curved portions 13 of the slots at opposite sides of the longitudinal center of the base piece are reversely or divergently related to provide for simultaneously and synchronously moving the side Walls inward and outward when actuated by the operating device.

Any suitable operating device may be employed for imparting longitudinal or endwise movement to theside walls 3. A ractical form of the device is shown in the rawings and consists in the employment of a swinging operating-lever 14, operating above the basepieceand mold and provided with a rockshaft member 15, arranged transversely beneath the base-piece and journaled in suitable bearings 16, fitted to the baseiece at the under side thereof. This roc r shaft member 15, which is thus journaled transversely beneath the fixed base or base-piece, is provided intermediate its ends with a centrally-arranged crank 17, to which is loosely pivoted or connected, as at 18, one end of a pair of adjusting-links 19, the other ends of which links are respectively connected, as at 20,.to the opposite side walls 3. This point of connection 2O is preferably made between one end of the links 1Q and the guide pins or projections 10 of the side walls at or contiguous to one end of said side walls, as may be lainly seen from Fig. 4 of the drawings.

he swin ing o erating-lever 14 is rovided at its Free en with a handle 23, de ected at right angles to the body of the lever and in the form of an approximate U-shapedl yoke, which is designe to enga e over the end of the mold op osite the fixe end wall 4, and thus brace an hold together one end of the side walls and the end-Wall sections or halves 5 carried thereb This lever construction provides a mol clamp aswell as an operating means for adjusting or moving the troweling side walls 3.

The fixed base or base-piece 1 is further provided therein within the vertical plane of the mold proper with a plurality of waste openings or slots 21, which permit sand or gravel to freely pass through, and thus prevent accumulation of foreign substances beneath the removable bottom mold member 6. In this connection it will also be observed that the base or base-piece 1 is preferably provided within the vertical plane of the mold proper with a series of sup orting-rollers 22, journaled transversely in earings provided at the upper side of the base-piece and spaced IOO IIO

a suitable distance apart to provide a rollersupport for the said removable bottom member 6, thus greatly facilitating the handlin of such member in positioning the same an( particolari);f in withdrawing it with the molded article thereon.

From the foregoing it will be understood that with the molded parts in tlieirassembled relation (shown in Fig. 1) and the mold locked or held together by the combination handle and clamp 23 the cement or other plastic material may be packed into the moldingspace to form the block, post, or other article to be molded. lhen the mold is ready to be opened up, it is sirnplyneoessary to grasp the handle 23 and swing the lever 14 upwardly. This motion rocks the shalt member i5, which exerts a pulling action upon the adjusting-links 1), with the consequence of moving the side walls 3 endwise ont of engagement with the keeper-mortises 17. For the distance of the length ol the straivht portions i2 of the slots 11 the said side Walls necessarilyT exert a troweling or smoothing action upon the sides of the molded article. When the guide-pins 1() reach tho outwardlydeflected portions 13 of the guiding-slots, the said side Walls Will be cammed outwardly away from the article Without breakin or otherwise in'airing the finish ot the siY es thereof. A continued movement ot the lever i4 spreads the side Walls 3 sufiiciently away from the molded article to permit one end oi the removable bottoni member 6 to be grasped and drawn outward upon its rollersupport with the molded article thereon, therebyT providing a most convenient and desirable method oi removing the article from the molding-machine. When the removable bottom member 6 is replaced upon its rollersnpport, it is only necessary to lower the operating-lever 14 to provide for closing the mold members into their cooperating relation to form the mold proper.

In adapting the molding-machine Jfor constructing cement fence-posts it is desirable to have the side Walls and bottom member 6 of the mold proper ot' tapered form to correspond to the taper of the post, as may be plainlyY seen from the drawings. i

ln connection with the troweling action involved in this machine it will of course be understood that this is accomplished by reason of providing for a relative endwise movement of the molded article and the opposite side Walls of the mold, which action can obviously,T be accomplished in various ways without departing from the invention.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages oi the herein-described molding-machine will be readily apparent Without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to witliont departing from the spirit et the invention or saeri'licing an),T of the advantages thereof.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. ln a molding-machine of the class described, the mold pro er having cndwisemovable side walls, an( an operating device comprising means for reciprocating both oi said Walls to eil'ect a troweling action on the molded article, said device also having means Jfwor moving said side walls oil' and away from the sides or' the article.

2. ln a molding-machine of the class described, the mold )roper having endwisemovable and laterally-shiftable Walls.

3. ln a molding-machine of the class described, the mold proper having endwisemovable and laterally-shiftahle side Walls, said trails being movable in a straight line during a. portion ot their movement. to effect a troweling action on the molded article.

a. ln a molding-machine of the class described, the mold ropcr having endwisemovable and latera ly-shiitabie side Walls, and means for synchronously operating said walls to carni,Y the same along the sides of the molded article in a trovveling action for a portion of their movement prior to their separation from the article.

5. ln a molding-machine ot the class described, a base, a lixcd end Wall arranged on the base, and endwise-movable side Walls arranged for movement on the base into and out of engagement with the 'lined end wall and carrying at one end end-Wall sections or halves.

6. In a molding-machine of the class described, a base, a i'ixed end Wall on the hase, a removable bottom mold. member arranged on the base, and endWise-niovable side Walls arranged for movement on the base into and ont of engagement with the fixed end Walls and carrying at one end end-wall sections or halves engaging over the bottoni mold member. l

7. ln a molding-machine of the class described, a base, a fixed upright end Wall having hceper-mortises, endWise-niovable side Walls having at one end tenons Working into and out of said mortises and provided at their opposite ends with inturned end-wall sections or halves, and a removable bottom mold member arranged upon the base bctiveen the said side Walls.

in a molding-machine ol the class described, the mold pro ier having endwisemovable side Walls, an an operating device for said side Walls having a member constitoting a mold-clamp engaging with the said side Walls.

9. ln a molding-machine of the class described, the mold proper having endwisemovable side Walls, guiding devices for said side 'Walls comprising means for guiding the i handle constituting a mold-clamp engaging same in a longitudinal direction and also for camming said Walls outward and inward, and an operating device having means for synchronously moving said walls.

1l). In a molding-machine of the class described, the base having separate pairs of guiding-slots having straight and outwardlydeilected portions, the mold proper having endWise-movable side Walls carrying guidepins Working in said slots, and an operating device comprising a swinging lever having a cranked rock-shaft memberr journaled on the base, and link connections between the crank of said shaft and the opposite side Walls.

11. In a molding-machine of the class described, the base, the mold proper having endwise-movable and laterally-shiftable side Walls, an operating device having adjusting connections with said side Walls and provided With a lever member having a `t,tolte-shaped the opposite side Walls at one end of the mold When the latter is closed.

12. In a molding-machine of the class described, the base having a series of supporting-rollers thereon, and the mold roper havinff endwise-movable and latera y-shiftable side Walls, and a removable bottom member arranged for support upon said rollers.

13. In a molding-machine of the class described, the base having a series of supporting-rollers thereon, and the mold proper including a removable bottom member arranged for support upon said rollers.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES J. COX.

Witnesses:

B. A. GARLINGHOUSE, L. T. Cox. 

